Jan. 3, 2000 SportsLine wire reports

KIRKLAND, Wash. -- The Seattle Seahawks don't officially have a defensive coordinator and Pete Carroll is unemployed. Does that mean the fired New England Patriots head coach will be tapped to fill the late Fritz Shurmur's old job here?

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"Any decisions I make on the coaching staff will be after we finish," Seahawks general manager-coach Mike Holmgren said Monday, the day after the Seahawks reached the playoffs for the first time since 1988. "I have not talked to Pete Carroll."

Carroll was dismissed by the Patriots on Monday after the team went 8-8 in his third season. Carroll was fired as coach of the New York Jets after one season in 1994.

Carroll was San Francisco's defensive coordinator in 1995 and 1996.

Seahawks linebackers coach Jim Lind handled the duties as the Seahawks defensive coordinator after Shurmur became ill last summer. Shurmur died of cancer Aug. 30. Lind followed Holmgren to Seattle from Green Bay, where he coached for four seasons as Holmgren's linebackers coach.

"Jim had the responsibility, but he did not have the title," Holmgren said. "When we set that up at the beginning of the year, after Fritz passed away, it was very clear what the guidelines were. Jim and I understand exactly the process here. Everyone's accountable for what they do."

The Seahawks defense struggled at the end of the regular season when the team lost five of its final six games. Seattle's defense was 23rd in the NFL in total defense; 25th against the rush and 17th against the pass.